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Optimization of internal damping in fiber reinforced composite materials

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5819668

This dissertation describes new, reliable, and fast impulse techniques for characterization of damping in fiber reinforced composite materials. Flexural and extensional vibration tests are used for determination of complex moduli of aligned discontinuous fiber composite, and off axis fiber composite specimens, respectively. The results from these tests are then compared with theoretical predictions from micromechanics models based on a single fiber. The analytical model is fitted to the experimental results by varying certain parameters that have uncertainties associated with them. It is shown that improved damping can be obtained with very low fiber aspect ratios, and that even better damping properties are possible with off-axis fibers. These results were obtained from tests done on three different fiber reinforced composite materials: graphite/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy and boron/epoxy.

Research Organization:
Idaho Univ., Moscow (USA)
OSTI ID:
5819668
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English